My Strange Cali King

Hello, I joined up last year when I got a strange looking Cali King, but I never posted about him here like was suggested to me. I guess now is as good a time as ever.

I've been told by various people that he is a stripe, or a wide stripe. I looked up both these and though stripe is very easy to find examples of, wide stripe was a little harder. But I did find examples of wide stripe and I'd have to say that my snake is not a wide stripe. I found a few breeders with wide stripes in their collection and they look like regular striped Cali Kings except for the white stripe running down the back is wider than usual. My snake doesn't have a stripe at all. He does however have a couple of tiny dots where a stripe should have been. So, there is no doubt in my mind that genetically he is a stripe. But it looks like he was bred to reduce the stripe completely.

I talked to a guy named, Brian Hubbs (he wrote some books on kings) and he said my king is called a "Mosaic Chocolate Top". I can not find any examples via google search.

I've also seen a few black and white Cali Kings that look similar called Tire Track.







Any thoughts?

P.s.
All pictures are of the same snake. He just looks different depending on the lighting.

Whatever he is he's very striking!

Thanks. I thought he looked unique. That's why I got him. I have plans to breed. Though I know his genetic makeup I don't want to give the look a name if there is already an established morph like this. That's why I ask. I would like to produce more like him.

Ashley that is one bad a$$ CA kingsnake! Without getting into too much detail right now, that is a Newport-Long Beach morph with a reduced stripe. There was one found like it a couple of years ago that laid about 6 eggs and none of the offspring had the reduced stripe like the mom. There were both banded and Newports born but all the Newports had stripes. Hubbs is the Cal king expert but he got the name mixed up, actually, he made it up. lol He's a friend of mine, so I know where he got those names "mosaic chocolate top". He combined mosaic with chocolate top. If you'd like a detailed explanation, just let me know.

Originally Posted by RossCA

Ashley that is one bad a$$ CA kingsnake! Without getting into too much detail right now, that is a Newport-Long Beach morph with a reduced stripe. There was one found like it a couple of years ago that laid about 6 eggs and none of the offspring had the reduced stripe like the mom. There were both banded and Newports born but all the Newports had stripes. Hubbs is the Cal king expert but he got the name mixed up, actually, he made it up. lol He's a friend of mine, so I know where he got those names "mosaic chocolate top". He combined mosaic with chocolate top. If you'd like a detailed explanation, just let me know.

Thank you so much for the information! In an email Brian told me that mine was one of the morphs that came out of the coastal stripe and albino that produced banana kings and several other morphs. But it was driving me crazy that I couldn't find anything like my guy. I just wanted to know if I had something neat or if he was common. I want to try and produce more like him. But I didn't want to steal anyone's idea and claim the morph as my own. If that makes sense.

Yeah, what he is describing is where your morph originated. Newport's were bred to San Diego striped kings and then selectively bred for high amounts of yellow pigment. I'm not sure why he brought up an albino for. Maybe one of the original striped kings used was albino. Anyway your snake is pretty original and there really are no official names for them. If you see traces of dots on its back you could just call it a vanishing stripe Cal king. Good luck producing more like that. Here's the Newport like yours that was found in the wild a couple years ago by a guy named Lou.

Would you believe I found him at a pet shop? I think he was there simply because he had an attitude. He was the size of a yearling when I got him. He was very bity and would strike the glass of his cage when you walked past. He would also lunge out of his cage when you took the lid off. Everyone that's met him is afraid of him.
I got me some wussy gloves and got him out anyway. After I was able to get him out a few times without being bitten I stopped using gloves.
It's been 9 months now since I got him and he hasn't bitten me in 5 of those months. I can even open up the cage and grab him with no tail rattles or strikes. He still doesn't like for you to direct his movements. Like when I try to measure him (3' last month). He gets jumpy and will push you off him. I usually just put him down for a little while to let him calm down then pick him back up. I just think he needed some handling and more food and that's all that was wrong.

Here is a picture of the two white spots on his back:

Too bad I couldn't get my hands on that wild caught female. She is lovely! I think two snakes that look similar might have a higher chance to get a hatchling or two with the same trait. But I've been looking all over and haven't found anything. All I have is a Nitida and a Desert phase Cali King (females).

I think you are right about the increased food and handling being the main reason he has calmed down. He was probably teased a lot at the pet shop, through the glass, by customers. Only two little spots on his back is hardly anything, that's a very clean look. Yeah, I bet if he was bred to that female, they would have to produce others like them selves. Some place called slip stream serpents sometimes sells kings like yours but it doesn't look like they will have any like yours this year. Good luck with him.

I contacted her and she wanted to buy him. We are going to do a breeding loan instead. Will be sending him out in October. I can't wait til next spring to see the babies!